


Strain

by Hermaline75



Series: Thor in glasses [9]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Blindfolds, Fluff, Human AU, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Massage, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 04:47:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3837652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hermaline75/pseuds/Hermaline75
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki is stressed at work and Thor is worried. Stress relief ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strain

**Author's Note:**

> This comes with many thanks to "bianca" who left me a comment months ago suggesting blindfolds and rimming as something new these two could try.

Thor was going cross-eyed.

The only PDF copy he'd managed to find of a long out-of-print reference book was such poor quality that trying to zoom in reduced it to a hideous blur and all the diagram labels were tiny and illegible without leaning far too close to the screen which was a bad idea anyway and really just made his eyes strain painfully beneath his glasses.

Why had he chosen this? It was important, sure, he was glad to be at the cutting edge of making sure past research errors weren't repeated, but seriously, this was the best digitalisation of the book in the world?

Microfiche would have been easier to work with.

He'd just given up for the day when he heard the door open and watched as Loki walked directly into the bedroom, followed by a thump.

Cautiously, Thor crept over to the open door to find Loki face down on the bed.

"Bad day?"

Groaning.

"I was wondering if calling for take out might be a good idea. We can have Thai."

Slightly happier groaning.

"Would you like a glass of wine, dear?"

Affirmative grunt.

Thor poured some in the kitchen before calling to order their usual from the local Thai place. It wasn't the most authentic of restaurants, but it tasted nice and the owners were lovely people who always gave them a little something extra for being good customers.

Loki appeared like a thief, sneakily grabbing his glass and retreating for the living room before Thor had finished ordering.

He followed afterwards, setting his glass down before taking his usual space on the couch. Loki was grumpily sipping, like the Zinfandel had deeply insulted him somehow.

"They're making me grade essays," he said.

Thor blinked.

"OK," he said, not seeing the problem. "But you've marked essays before, you do them all the time..."

"Not like this. It's the first years, their first semester essay. I normally mark my own group's essays where I know what they're capable of. I have no idea about these kids and somehow I'm meant to make a bell curve. Their first essays. Do you remember your first essay?"

"Uh... Truthfully, my undergrad was so long ago and first semester even further..."

"I remember mine. Probably still have it sonewhere. It was completely, unilaterally, incredibly shit. I received a B for it. So therefore, about a third will be better than that and a third will somehow be worse."

Thor tried desperately to think of a bright side to this, but got the feeling he was facing an uphill struggle and that really Loki just wanted to have a good cathartic moan about it and his job was just to listen.

"It's their first ever graded essay at college level," Loki was continuing. "They've had class assessments, but that's all. Which means they'll be panicking and trying to impress and half of them will have tried to write peer-review style work before they're ready - which will be drier than an arid landscape in the middle of summer - but do I mark terrible style down? What about the ones who say nothing remotely insightful, but actually manage to be engaging and readable? Which is worse, style above substance or stuff that puts me to sleep? God, I hate this!"

Thor managed to mostly filter out Loki's complaints during dinner. Although they worked in entirely different faculties, it was sometimes difficult for Thor to listen to this kind of thing. He always worried that his supervisor was going home and complaining to his spouse about him.

"Oh, and you always get one little shit who thinks they're the next Nietzsche because they read a philosophy textbook once and they think everything they're saying is _so_ important and _so_ deep and no-one else has _ever_ thought about the world like this and you just want to write 'Stop being a pretentious little shit' at the bottom. You know why I know that?"

Thor shook his head rather than try to speak through a mouthful of spice.

"Because I was that pretentious little shit and it took me years to stop being him."

Thor very carefully avoided the urge to laugh, focusing on planning how to provide moral support during this difficult time instead.

\---

The papers arrived on Loki's desk on Tuesday. Tony let out a low whistle at the sight of them.

"How many?" he asked.

"25. And three weeks to get them completely turned around. My mark, second mark, agreed mark. This is my life now. How come you don't have any?"

"Well, my last taught class is now into the revision period, so I am officially on a month's sabbatical."

"You don't want to grade ten essays while on sabbatical, do you?"

Tony looked faux-shocked. 

"Loki Laufeyson, are you trying to get out of your moral obligation to give these kids a fair and honest appraisal of their efforts? Does the blood, sweat and tears of these infants mean nothing to you? Their toil sub-marked? For shame."

"It's a 2000-word essay on the thematic similarities of two out of the three texts they've studied this term. It's not exactly their magnum opi."

"'Magnum opi'? You mean 'magnum opuses'."

"Actually I think I mean 'magnum opera'. But you see? Just proximity with them is melting my brain. You have to take some of them. For health reasons."

"No way. Nuh-uh. Each of these unfortunate souls is getting your grade in your handwriting and your scathing comments on it. I, on the other hand, have a lunch date with my lady. See ya."

Loki sighed heavily. Oh, to have the freedom of going to have lunch with a significant other. None of that till the end of the month, knowing his luck.

He loaded up the Sparknotes pages on each of the three texts and pulled the first essay from the top of the pile.

_"What is a theme? Webster's dictionary defines 'theme' as..."_

The sound of his groaning filled the tiny room.

\---

One of the good things about Loki - one of many, Thor thought - was that while he definitely brought work home with him, he also didn't complain about Thor's workaholic habits.

He would sometimes politely suggest that Thor stop for the night, but it was always just a suggestion. Which Thor usually followed, it had to be said. Especially if Loki was naked or casually twirling the handcuffs around his finger.

Right now, though, Thor felt like he could sit naked in Loki's lap and just get a slightly terse request to move aside.

It was worrying. Loki usually had a pretty healthy work/life balance. He refused to read his emails at weekends, he saw friends, he took evenings off... But it had been nearly a week and a half and Thor felt like he'd barely seen his boyfriend during that time. He was around, sure. Their usual companionable working nights were still just that, Thor in a nest of papers on the couch and Loki at the table occasionally tutting.

But he wouldn't come to bed at the usual time, often falling in next to Thor in the early hours.

His phone pinged once in a while. He'd linked his work emails to it. And sometimes he would even sit up in the middle of the night to write a reply.

"Can't you just tell them to piss off?" Thor mumbled at half past four in the morning of the second week's Sunday. "Why are they still up?"

"Students are nocturnal. Everyone knows that."

"But I thought you were Mr Scary Face. Why are they emailing you?"

He fell back to sleep while Loki hesitated.

\---

Why was he letting the little brats email him at all hours? He never did this.

He sighed and read over the flawlessly polite but very worried email from some student called William.

_Dear Mr Laufeyson, Sorry to bother you, but I'm worried that my essay might not have arrived. I placed it in the admissions box as directed, but please could you check it didn't get lost? My matriculation identity number is..._

He replied telling William that if his essay had been put in the box then it was now with a marker and that he couldn't check due to anonymous assessment. He urged him not to worry and asked him to get some rest.

A few moments later, another ping.

_Sorry, Mr Laufeyson. Guess I'm getting worked up for no reason. Thank you for replying so quickly and sorry if I woke you. You're the best. Billy_

"The best," huh? High praise indeed.

Shame that Thor probably didn't think so at the moment, frowning in his sleep against the pillow.

Loki firmly switched his phone off and tried his best to snuggle in to Thor's warmth. It only took a little coaxing to get unconscious cuddles.

\---

"You need to tell him you're worried," Darcy said.

Thor was having lunch with her and Jane and had had to admit to the reason behind his yawning.

"It's nearly over. Things will get back to normal soon."

"Still, those kids, how come they're getting priority? I never get my emails answered."

"That's just it. I don't know where it's coming from. Normally he acts as though students are an inconvenience, interrupting his vital reading time."

"I think it's good that he's being so supportive," Jane said. "We all know how detrimental poor support can be. He might be making all the difference to someone just by letting them know that they're heard."

"Sure," Thor said. "I get that. But it might not be good for him. He's barely sleeping. I wake up and he's gone half the time. I have to practically make him eat. He needs to find a nice middle ground, that's all. And he's so tense all the time. I want to help, but I don't know how."

"When will it all be over?"

"His part is meant to already have finished, but he got roped into second marking a few and then they're all meeting to agree marks on Friday. Essay hand back on Monday."

"OK," Darcy said. "Here's what you do. Confiscate his phone on Friday night and make him take the whole weekend off."

"Talk to him," Jane suggested. "Let him know that his health has to come first."

Thor bit his lip wondering what to do.

\---

Agreeing marks was awful. 

They had a scale and a curve and everything was meant to just fall into place. Needless to say, it did not.

Loki normally found himself siding with the harsher markers. Give too many high marks too early and you leave no room for improvement, that was his theory. But now he was starting to think and consider that maybe students would be discouraged if they were judged too hard too fast.

It was a long, boring, infuriating argument and even having won a few of the debates, Loki was wound tight and slightly frazzled by the time it was over.

He nearly fell in his front door, exhausted but far too wired to sleep.

Thor came to greet him in the hall.

"Is it over?" he asked. "Is it finally done?"

"Yeah," Loki said, hanging up his coat. "Finally is right."

"OK. Give me your phone."

Loki looked into Thor's eyes, seeing them gentle but stern in the way they were when...

Oh. OK.

He made a show of switching it off before handing it over. Thor put it in a kitchen cupboard.

"No students interrupting," he said. "No work, no worrying. You have been far too stressed all month. So now you're going to relax and let me take care of you."

Loki loved Thor's dominating side. He was in charge, there was no doubt about that, but he was wonderfully gentle and caring. He eased Loki through to the bedroom, peeling off his clothes and planting soft kisses against his neck.

Loki felt like he was melting.

\---

It was very nice to have Loki letting go a little bit, but Thor could still feel the stress radiating from him. That wouldn't do at all.

He eased Loki over to the bed once he was naked, lying him down on his stomach.

"Is it alright to blindfold you? I want you to focus on your other senses tonight."

He watched a little shiver of anticipation roll through Loki's body as he nodded eagerly. He laid his head softly against the pillows, sighing happily, eyes concealed by a black scarf.

Thor had prepared for this and drew out his secret weapon from beneath the bed. Being in many sports teams in his youth had introduced him to a number of massage techniques. He hadn't used them on another person before, but surely the principle was the same.

Loki's nostrils twitched as Thor opened the bottle of sweet scented oil, letting the heat from his hands warm it. He started rubbing in the centre of Loki's upper back, wide, gentle circles. Already he could see Loki relaxing into it, letting out sweet little noises.

\---

Thor straddled him, probably for a better angle, his sweatpants soft against Loki's bare skin.

This was divine. Thor had started to work at his shoulders, carefully working out each and every knot. Loki was struck again by how strong Thor was and how he used his strength only to be kind. The oil seemed to fill the air, a rich, woody smell. He was in heaven, his cock beginning to fill gently.

"OK?" Thor whispered.

And Loki had a wicked idea.

"Mmm... Yes. Oh, _Thor,_ it feels so good."

A vague chuckle behind him. If he tilted his hips just so...

"I love having your hands on me. Makes me feel... Ooh, yeah, that's nice."

"I know what you're doing, you know."

Loki laughed into the pillow.

\---

Really, Loki was lucky that Thor was a forgiving person. Someone stricter would punish him for deliberately provoking him so. He wasn't even sure how he was managing to writhe like that. It shouldn't have been possible.

But he was, and Thor was desperately trying to ignore his motions and those sinful noises he was making. He wasn't getting anything until Thor was satisfied he was a puddle of relaxed muscles.

Unfortunately, Loki was a deeply impatient person.

"Thor... I'm done."

"Are you now?"

"Mm. Not that this isn't delicious, but I'm feeling a little tense elsewhere..."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah... Lower down. Kinda feels like I need a bit of pressure inside..."

Thor smiled and leant forward to exchange his glasses for his other ocular aids.

"Ooh," Loki said. "Do I hear the sound of sexy, sexy goggles being put on?"

"Shut up, you love my goggles."

"I do. They mean that you're intending to be energetic."

Thor got off the bed to shuck his clothes and knelt between Loki's legs, making him shiver as he ran his hands up his thighs and over the globes of his ass.

He heard the excited little huff that escaped Loki as he spread his cheeks apart, exposing his hole to the air.

And he had an idea that he thought might be mutually pleasing.

\---

Loki had turned into a purring mass of comfortable flesh when he felt Thor pause. He expected the touch of a finger against his entrance and squeaked in a thoroughly undignified way when he felt something else.

"Ooh..."

"Is this OK?"

"Yeah. Better than OK."

Thor's hum of pleasure sent vibrations through his body as he turned back to his task, licking long strokes from as far forward as he could reach at this angle all the way up to the base of Loki's spine.

His beard tickled just slightly and his hair was like silk against the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. Every so often the plastic of the goggles brushed against him, the cold shocking next to the warmth of Thor's flesh.

Loki suddenly realised he was panting desperately, more excited than he'd known, his whole body alight and attuned to sensation.

"More," he gasped. "God, keep going."

He moaned eagerly when Thor switched to soft open kisses.

\---

This had been a good idea. He could feel Loki's muscles relaxing under his attention. There was something very intimate about it, something he couldn't really explain.

"Fuck... God, Thor..."

There was still a little resistance to his tongue, but he forced it inside, doubling his efforts at the sound of Loki moaning helplessly.

"I need to... Let me up."

Thor relented while Loki pushed himself onto all fours and tugged the blindfold off, the sheets stained where his cock had been leaking against them.

This was a better angle, letting Thor really get into a rhythm, his fingers digging into Loki's hips just a little. He tried to reach around to stroke Loki's cock, only to meet his hand already there.

His chuckle clearly felt good, as he was rewarded with more sounds that went straight to his own groin. God, his boyfriend was hot, grinding back to get more sensation and panting and...

"Fuck, I... I'm..."

...and about to come on his tongue.

\---

What had he done to deserve this? He'd expected Thor to be annoyed by his recent distance, but here he was worshipping his body, looking after him and...

"Oh, God..."

He could feel his muscles tightening, making the alien but delicious sensation of being licked and kissed in such an intimate way all the more intense.

He came over his own fingers, gasping and moaning. Thor kept laying kisses against his skin, moving up his body.

"Hey," Loki breathed. "Come on, you haven't got off."

"It's OK."

He could feel Thor's cock, hard and warm against his skin, and reached for the lube.

"No," Thor said. "You just came, you'll be oversensitive."

"Between my legs. Trust me."

He tipped onto his side and slicked up his inner thighs, reaching back to guide Thor's cock between them.

There was a moment's pause before Thor started thrusting, wrapping his arms around Loki's chest, breath hot against his ear. It didn't take him long, aroused as he was.

Loki turned away from his kisses.

"Gross, Thor. I know where that tongue has just been. Go brush your teeth first."

Thor chuckled and dragged himself to the bathroom, coming back with minty breath and a soft cloth to wipe the lube and come from Loki's skin.

"You're too good to me. I know I haven't been the best person to be around lately."

Thor sighed and sat down, lightly running his fingers through Loki's hair.

"I'm very proud of you for the support you gave those students, but... I worry that it's not good for you. You haven't been sleeping or eating right. I just want you to be healthy. And happy."

Loki scrubbed his hands down his face.

"You're right. I can't keep doing it. I'll snap and that won't be good for anyone. Now that the essays are dealt with, I'll scale it back, I promise."

Thor kissed him.

"The bath's running," he said. "I think a nice soak will do you good."

"Care to join me?"

"Sure. Just let me swap the sheets and call for pizza."

"I love you so much."

"Yeah, I know."

There wasn't really enough room for both of them in the tub, so Loki had to sit in Thor's lap while he tried to feed them both without dropping the pizza box in the water. He was still wearing his goggles, which was making Loki very curious about seeing under water and perhaps future activities that they could try.

Sometimes gratitude is hard to express, but as Thor held him close on fresh sheets, Loki really felt that somehow he knew how much he was appreciated.

"Thor, did you answer the door for pizza with your goggles on?"

He laughed into the horrified pause. It was nice that his smart and thoughtful baby was also such a klutz sometimes.

"We can never eat pizza from there again."

"Oh, relax. Next time, I'll wear them and we'll really get a name for ourselves."

Thor chuckled into his hair.

It was really nice to fall asleep happy.


End file.
